322.111 Arched harps - Wachsmann type 1

Saùng-gauk arched harp with thirteen strings, made for a woman. The padauk wood body and deerskin soundtable are covered with multiple layers of varnish.

Considered the national instrument of Burma, the saung-gauk has a long history. The instrument is played with the resonator held in the lap, slightly tilted so the the strings are roughly horizontal. The strings are plucked with both hands, the right hand from the outside near to the base of the instrument and the left hand from the inside near to the string bearer.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
M15.10.48/260
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 463 x 460 x 80 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
wood; gold; metal thread; vegetable fibre; mineral material
CATEGORY
Musical Instruments
LOCATION
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Collection Information

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